


Blade of Determination

by KoboldKing



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Magic-User Chara (Undertale), Nonbinary Chara (Undertale), Nonbinary Frisk (Undertale), Teenage Chara (Undertale), Teenage Frisk (Undertale), Two Nonbinary Teenagers Have A Knife Fight Over A Game Of Scrabble, Untitled Swap AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-12-09 17:16:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20998472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KoboldKing/pseuds/KoboldKing
Summary: Scenes from a world in which Chara Dreemurr fills Undyne's role in the story. Can Frisk spare and befriend the only other human they've met in the Underground--one with a relentless hatred for their own kind?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'll keep this note brief.
> 
> This a shuffled roles AU akin to Storyshift in concept. It changes many characters and other necessary details, but the primary role swap that will be relevant for these scenes is that Chara now takes Undyne's role in the story of Undertale.
> 
> Other role swaps tangentially relevant to these scenes are as follows:
> 
> Asriel takes Alphys' place.
> 
> Alphys takes Asgore's place.
> 
> Toriel takes Mettaton's place.
> 
> Mettaton takes Papyrus' place.
> 
> No one takes Frisk's place because Frisk is pure and irreplaceable.
> 
> With that out of the way. Let us begin.

A sense of foreboding filled Frisk with determination.

The constant dripping sound of Waterfall had given away to the howl of distant wind, though how there could be a wind this deep underground was far beyond their ability to understand. The sound kept the hairs on the back of their neck standing up straight and their legs moving briskly, a far cry from the relaxed pace that the moist caverns behind them had encouraged.

Or, had mostly encouraged. Ever since leaving Snowdin Frisk had been a hunted animal.

Their first sight of the warrior had frightened them like little else down here had. Monsters were aggressive on the surface, but barely took any convincing to lay down their weapons and start acting like old friends. The ghost cousins had been spooky at first, but they turned out to be two of the friendliest people Frisk had ever met. Even the dogs in the Royal Guard started acting like big puppies in armor the moment a stick was thrown.

But the figure that had started pursuing them in Waterfall was different. They walked slowly and carefully, covered head to toe in dark armor. They'd intimidated the heck out of Metta, and most other monsters showed either reverence or fear when Frisk tried to ask about them. When that helmeted head had finally turned towards Frisk there had been no discussion; no respectful pause to allow them the chance to act first; no chance to beg for mercy. The moment that creature had laid eyes on them they had immediately conjured blades of pure magic out of thin air and sent them flying towards them with lethal precision.

It had been all Frisk could do so far to keep walking a few steps ahead of their pursuer, and to dodge the barrages of knives that could come at any time. Now things finally felt like they were coming to a head; they couldn't quite explain why or how, but they just _knew _they'd have to confront their antagonist for real soon.

They began to approach an especially craggy area of the Underground, where a mountain under the mountain rose up and nearly touched the cavern ceiling. Frisk tensed up at the sight of a familiar shape halfway up the mountain, sitting with their legs casually dangling over the ledge.

Unexpectedly... they spoke.

"Greetings," said the figure. "We've had a few scuffles, but we haven't been introduced. I am Chara."

Frisk remained stoic with some effort. It wasn't just that their attacker had taken them aback by suddenly talking after all this time. The armored figure—Chara, apparently—had a much softer voice than they would have expected. Perhaps it was the helmet that muffled the sound. Perhaps they were simply quieter than their aggression would suggest. Either way it unsettled Frisk to their core, and they declined to offer their own name in return.

If this offended Chara then they showed no indication of it. They continued on in their soft tone, voice slightly echoing from within their helm.

"When you first wandered into town, I was so confused. A human coming out of the Ruins? This could only end with dust or blood. Probably both. And yet. Somehow. Despite all odds. You came walking out coated in neither."

Again Frisk remained silent, allowing their recurring menace their chance to speak. They'd found thus far that every monster would rather be listened to than fought. Chara's clear but echoing voice began to betray a hint of frustration.

"Instead of an empty town you left one enamored with you. Even the Royal Guards, whom I'd idolized, decided to let you walk right past them. They even have the audacity to bark about the new 'friend' that they met today. They have not even noticed that you are carving a straight line towards the Barrier. And thus that you can only be planning one thing."

Chara paused, and somehow their silence set a chill down Frisk's spine. When the armored figure spoke again, it was softer than before but in a hiss that somehow carried down the mountain nonetheless.

"You are planning to take a boss monster's SOUL and leave this place," they said. "If you did not, you would not have left the Ruins. Do you understand, human? You cannot leave the Underground without the murder of my father, my mother, or my brother. We _cannot_ both have what we want."

For the first time a sliver of doubt formed itself in Frisk's chest. Was the figure telling the truth? They'd done nothing but assault them with knives up until now. And yet what they were saying matched uncomfortably with the plaques lining the walls throughout Waterfall...

Chara was no longer sitting down. They had risen to their feet, towering above Frisk from atop their rock pile despite being barely an inch taller than them. Their voice had become ever so slightly louder.

"This is the point at which a member of the Royal Guard would follow the ancient customs for those who had made it this far. They would take this moment to tell the tragic story of their people. But _I _am wearing stolen armor. _I_ will show you no such courtesy. After all. I am only _human_."

With a smooth movement the figure yanked the helmet off of their head, and it was all Frisk could do not to let their stoic mask crack. The face under the helmet wasn't a boss monster like Asgore and Toriel. It wasn't even a monster at all.

Chara was human. Their face was almost a reflection of Frisk's own, but with a face flushed pink from the howling wind, a forced smile stretched across their lips, and eyes colored blood red.

Blood red eyes. Frisk had barely believed the stories of monsters before falling down, and they certainly hadn't taken seriously the weirder stories that people whispered up above. The stories of humans with the eyes and magic of monsters.

Demons.

Chara's eyes were furious but their smile was manic. "Asriel insists to me that there is good up there. That we could show mercy to anyone who falls down. But you are the perfect example of why he is wrong. He expects kind children or honorable warriors. But you? You are a trickster. You believe you can fall down and walk right back out with any SOUL that you please. You think no one will stop you or punish you when you inevitably decide to stab your new 'friends' in the back. You think that you are _above _consequences_._"

Their fist clenched, but they turned it into a flourish—a flourish that resulted in an array of glowing magical knives floating in the air, poised to attack.

"You are my mirror, human. Our continued existence is a crime, but while I tried and failed to give up my SOUL... you want to take one of theirs. I will not allow that to happen. I will _not_ allow you to be in control. You may prepare yourself as long as you like, mirror, but when you step forward... we will find out which of us is more determined."

The wind was howling. The ceiling overhead glimmered with a thousand unfulfilled dreams. The human in armor had an eager smile but hateful eyes.

Frisk was afraid, but filled with determination.

They stepped forward.

"Right," said Chara with obvious satisfaction. "Come and face the absolute."

They slid down to land in front of Frisk, floating knives in tow as their armored feet hit the ground. The world went monochrome as the fight began.

Frisk had been in dozens of these strange magical fights since falling down, but something immediately stuck out as odd about this one. As usual they could see their own SOUL as a glowing red heart shining from within their chest; but now, for the first, they could see one that _wasn't _their own.

An identical red heart shone in Chara's chest, its glow emanating even through their bulky armor. Chara too paused to take stock of the situation.

"Interesting. Your SOUL's magical attribute is Determination. Just like mine."

Frisk mused aloud that they didn't know SOULs had magical attributes. Chara's smile betrayed an annoying and immensely worrying trace of smugness.

"I am not surprised. Most humans have forgotten. It is old magic I learned from my father... my real father. My _monster_ father."

They cocked their head with the expression of someone who'd just had a devilish idea. "...shall I impart a lesson?"

Frisk began to say that that was quite alright, thank you, but it was too late. Chara's hand slashed downwards, and a sudden constricting sensation splashed through their entire body at once.

Their SOUL wasn't red any more. It had turned a pretty shade of green... and their feet now felt firmly rooted to the ground. They realized with a rising horror that Chara was preparing a barrage of their magical blades, and that this time, dodging and running away wouldn't be among their options. Imagery of being executed on the spot, knives perforating their immobilized body, flashed through their mind almost as vividly as though they were living out the scene.

No running. Certainly no fighting. Their only option was to ACT.

...specifically, to guilt-trip.

They managed to call out to Chara that this was wildly unfair. Chara began to roll their eyes, but they pressed on quickly, trying to play on what they'd heard earlier. They pointed out that the monster Royal Guard would never execute a helpless opponent.

"You must have misunderstood. I am not yet _in_ the Royal Guard."

Oh. Right. This was going to require a more advanced argument. They instead pointed out that they wanted to be... and if a human ever aspired to join the Guard, or even LEAD it one day, they should prove they could defeat another human while playing by monster rules.

As soon as the words left their mouth they braced themselves for summary execution, at least seventy-five percent certain that no amount of appealing was going to save them now. And yet... surprisingly...

"...a compromise, then."

Chara summoned a long and lethal looking dagger made of their red magic, but instead of sending it stabbing straight through Frisk's SOUL as anticipated, they slid it over for them to pick up off the ground. Frisk was uncertain how this was supposed to help.

"There. Now you can defend yourself. More importantly. When you die... YOU WILL KNOW IT WAS BECAUSE _YOU_ WEREN'T GOOD ENOUGH."

Frisk barely had time to pick the blade off the ground before the barrage came and they found themselves desperately batting away knives from every direction, barely able to keep up with how relentlessly they kept coming. The magical weapon had a tingling effect against their fingers, but that was nothing compared to the shock that ran up their arms with every successful deflection. They knew even failing to block a single attack would be the end of the battle.

Yet this did nothing to dampen their determination. It should have been impossible for an untrained fourteen year old to do a thing against this sort of magic, yet somehow, someway, they found themselves blocking and timing each barrage as though they'd done it a thousand times before.

It seemed as frustrating to Chara as it was encouraging to Frisk. They could hear the armored human mutter something about "deja vu" before having to stop and catch their breath—the effect on Frisk's SOUL ending as soon as they did. It turned its natural shade of rainbow-red and freed them to move once again, an opportunity they took immediately. They ran straight towards Chara.

Chara's eyes widened in fear, flinching instinctively in expectation of being hit. But they had nothing to fear. Frisk had refused to strike any monster that crossed their path, and an angry human wasn't going to be the exception. They ran right past them, light on their feet and making a break for the Hotland border.

"What? _Stop_. Come _back_ here!"

Armored feet clanged against the stone ground as they tore off after the other human, managing to capture them again in the green glow. Frisk again had to fend off a few rapid waves of crimson knives.

Chara was clearly struggling to keep up their smile.

"The only way you are going any further, human, is if I can rip your SOUL out with my magic. _Then_ you are going straight to the Capital. _Then_ we are breaking the Barrier. _Then_ they will be free!"

But this time the green SOUL didn't last as long. Frisk was again free to dart towards Hotland. Chara was huffing with both rage and exhaustion, and again had to run at full exertion to keep up with the fleeing human. Running towards Hotland was like running right smack into a wall of pure heat—Frisk was immediately regretting the thick sweater they were wearing, and couldn't imagine what wearing a suit of heavy armor would feel like here.

Daring a look over their shoulder they could tell Chara's face was flushed redder than before. Sweat was dripping down their face... and... was that their imagination, or were there tears of frustration there too?

"Stop," Chara gasped, struggling to keep the pace. It was clear they weren't used to running in the 'stolen armor' they were wearing. "I won't... let you... get past me..."

Frisk almost felt bad for them, but they couldn't afford to turn back. They kept running as the wall of heat grew still more intense.

"I won't... let you... get near... _him..._"

Him?

Frisk's feet were skidding past a water cooler when they heard a crash behind them. Even as dead set on running as they were, they couldn't help but turn around and check.

Chara had collapsed. They'd run as far as they could in their heavy stolen armor, but the heat and the unfamiliar weight had dragged them down in the end. Their smile was finally gone. Their breathing was hoarse and ragged, their eyes clenched shut and showing the clear streaks of unbidden tears running down their cheeks. Even the tears were quick to evaporate.

Frisk found themself hesitating. Monsters seemed to be able to handle a lot, but Chara... Chara was a human. Humans could get heatstroke, which they knew because they'd once gone hiking and gotten so hot and dehydrated that they'd completely passed out and spent later that day vomiting. Apparently heatstroke was a pretty serious deal. It could even kill you.

Their hesitation didn't last long. There was a convenient water cooler right by the path they were following with a stack of paper cups helpfully supplied. They poured a tall cup of the cool liquid, refrained from immediately guzzling it for themself only by the pure power of determination, and carried it back to the fallen human.

...they weren't sure if it was safe to try pouring it into their mouth, so Frisk just poured it onto their face. It completely drenched them, causing them to start sputtering and gasping as it poured down their armor and soaked the clothes underneath.

Weirdly... despite the fact that they'd just been trying to murder them to death with magic knives... they looked pretty adorable for a second. Then their eyes opened.

Frisk took a few reflexive steps back as the other human seemed to fully awake to their circumstances. They were frowning. Their now drenched cheeks were flushed with what could be heat and could be anger, but also, to Frisk's eyes... with something like embarrassment.

The two locked eyes with one another for a long moment with nothing but the sweltering air between them before Chara finally rose up again and Frisk prepared to bolt.

But. Instead. Chara simply walked away. Their boots seemed to clang heavier than before as they half-walked, half-limped back the way they came. There was something in their gait that made Frisk want to call out and check if they were okay, but... something told them that would be pushing their luck. Their direction was clear to them. They had to press forward, whether or _not _their entire journey was going to be fruitless without murder. They had to stay determined.

Even so, the encounter weighed on their mind. Why was there another human down here? More importantly, why was the only other human they'd met down here more devoted to hunting them down like an animal than any of the monsters?

...why had they looked at Frisk, a complete stranger, with so much hate? Why were they so certain they meant the monsters harm? And who was the _him_ they seemed dead set on keeping them away from?

To their utmost surprise, they had only been walking across the parched Hotland earth for a couple of minutes before a massive building loomed in front of them—a building which _appeared_ to be a laboratory. They took a deep breath. Whatever questions they had wouldn't be answered by going back where the knife-happy human had gone, or standing rooted in one place here. If they were going to get any answers—or get back to the surface at all—they _had _to keep moving forward.

They entered the laboratory, tip-toeing into the surprisingly dark interior. They almost walked straight into a wall before they found a light switch, flicking it on to find a fastidiously clean environment with interesting equipment all around.

Some of that equipment included massive monitors displaying Frisk's own face like out of some freaky dystopian movie. That... would explain where the cameras they'd seen were sending their data. They fortunately didn't have much time to creep themself out thinking about it before a door opened at the far side of the lab.

They stood up straight, prepared for another tense confrontation despite being exhausted from facing Chara. But the monster who appeared before them gave them pause.

"O-Oh no," said a distressed bleating voice. "You're here _already_? I thought there was more time... Mom's not here yet... Dad's probably asleep at home... who even _knows _where Chara ran off to... um..."

The monster finally caught himself stammering, stepping forward.

"S-Sorry. What I mean to say is... howdy! My name is Asriel. I sort of intern here at the lab for the Queen. You're new to the Underground, so... I was thinking... I could help you?"

Frisk stared. Asriel was a fuzzy, white, goat-like boss monster, just like Asgore, the sad old gardener. But Asriel was closer to them in height and they could only guess age; he had a nervous but kind expression, and was outstretching his hand in a friendly gesture. He was also wearing a labcoat several sizes too tall for him, to the point that he had to shake his arm just to get his hand out of the sleeve.

Chara's family were boss monsters. This must be their brother... the _him _they wanted so desperately to keep an assumed murderous human away from. Frisk suddenly felt that they understood and agreed with Chara on a far more fundamental level than before, as an internal squee motivated them to dart forward and introduce themself.

This fluffy boy must be _protected_.


	2. Chapter 2

"So." Chara's voice was calm but obviously controlled. Their forced smile seemed even more alien and hostile than it had when it was surrounded by slashing knives. "Why did you come here?"

There were a number of reasons for that, Frisk wanted to say. Metta had been insistent on their tagging along on a joint visit before phasing out of the room without more than a single musical number's worth of guidance. Asriel had been wildly enthusiastic about Frisk swinging by and becoming best friends with Chara, but was too busy helping out with their Mom's show to be here himself. But most importantly of all...

Frisk had a desire for friendship that tended to hazardously outweight their desire to avoid potentially stab-inducing situations. They started to open their mouth to explain some fraction of this complex situation. Chara talked right over them.

"Is this a cruel joke? Have you come to mock my powerlessness? Are you only here to gloat?"

While a mischievous side of them was tempted to reply with 'yes' just to see their reaction, Frisk instead assurred them that this wasn't the case. They assurred the other human they wanted to be friends.

"Friends?" Chara laughed without even a touch of mirth touching their eyes. "I do not think so. I may not be able to tear your SOUL out of your body, but we are _still_ enemies."

Frisk's heart sank. It had been a longshot, but given how quick to reconcile the monsters around here had been they'd been hoping Chara would be the same way. They were a human after all, just like Frisk; they were both about fourteen, both almost the same height, and according to Asriel, so close to identical he'd briefly mistaken the two of them on the lab's cameras. It almost seemed like destiny that the two of them should become close.

With that in mind, they refused to give up. Determination boiled up inside of them—determination to make a new friend. It had gotten them this far, after all.

They told Chara that they hadn't hurt a SOUL since they'd fallen down. Chara _hmphed_.

"You're biding your time. Humans can be patiently cruel."

They pointed out that their LV was only 1, just like Chara's. The other human looked briefly unsettled, but only for a moment.

"How do you know about LV? Who told you?" They shook their head. "It doesn't matter regardless. My LV is 1 and you know quite well I am willing to kill."

Feeling frustrated, Frisk pressed on anyway. They pointed out that they'd become fast friends with Asriel. This almost immediately seemed to be a mistake, as that cold hatred immediately flashed back into Chara's eyes.

"Asriel's a baby," they snapped. "He doesn't see the signs like I do. Don't get arrogant. You may have humiliated me earlier, but by the Delta Rune, if you harm him in _any_ way..."

Frisk interrupted, not only stressing that they had absolutely _no _intention of hurting a hair on the fluffy boy's head, but that a big part of their coming here had been because it'd been Asriel's idea and they thought it'd make him happy to go along with it. These statements seemed to irk them still more, but they relented with a sigh.

"Yes. I know. Asriel's the only reason I haven't thrown you out. Or attacked you again."

Their glare was every bit as cutting as their knives. But again they forced their mouth into a wide smile that was somehow even scarier.

"So I'll be friendly. For Asriel's sake. And because every moment you spend here trying and failing to convince me you aren't a remorseless criminal is a moment you're not spending on your evil schemes. So sit down. Make yourself comfortable. I'll get you something to drink."

They walked straight to their pantry and began unloading its contents. Frisk found themself more than a little unwilling to press their luck by wandering freely around the room and did as Chara asked, taking a seat. It wasn't long before there was a nice selection laid out on the countertop.

"There. Take your pick."

As quickly as they'd sat down Frisk rose to their feet—but regretted moving instantly. Their chair made a sudden loud noise when they scooted it, causing Chara to jump almost a foot into the air. A flash of red lit up the room as they threw a knife on reflex. Frisk paled and held perfectly still as the magic blade planted itself firmly into the table, its glowing handle vibrating from the force of the throw.

Had... had that been a pure reflexive reaction, or had the other human systematically attempted an assassination?

From the look on Chara's face, Frisk was leaning towards it being reflex. There was anger there—when wasn't there?--but amid all the terrifying fury there was a hint of fear. Fear was something Frisk could understand. They sat down quickly, trying to give them the most neutral face they could.

After a moment Chara replaced their scary face with their usual smile, looking as innocent as an angel.

"Apologies. Please. Remain seated. Just... point to whatever you would like. You can use the knife."

Smiling politely in turn Frisk reached for the knife, only managing to pry it out of the table after using both hands. It was an unfamiliar tool to them, but they were only using it for pointing and were feeling a little more confident. After all, if Chara _was_ still trying to kill them, they weren't trying as hard as they were earlier. Frisk thrived on small victories.

The first thing they pointed to was the hot chocolate on the counter.

"No," Chara said simply. Frisk stuck their lip out, pointing at it again more forcefully. Chara's smile didn't waver. "No. It's mine. I took it out so I could reach the beverages in the back. Choose something else."

Well. Okay. There was no arguing with the other human's calm, commanding tone. Giving up on the chocolate they pointed instead at a case of tea.

"Ah. Golden flower tea. An excellent choice." Chara's smile took on a new and ominous tone. "And courageous. Like many types of flower tea, this can be quite poisonous if not prepared properly. Fortunately for you, I have not poisoned anyone in quite some time."

Frisk, feeling as though this could change at any minute, cleared their throat and loudly announced they weren't really in the mood for tea after all. Chara's eyes glowered, but they remained smiling.

"Of course. Take your time."

Frisk's attention was drawn to the suit of armor put up in the corner. The one they'd seen a lot of but hadn't gotten a very good luck at while it was being worn by a vicious assailant. They pointed to it curiously.

"What? You want my armor? Tough. There is no way I would give you something with such a high DEF value."

They paused a moment, looking concerned.

"Note to self. Remember to return it to the Snowdin Armory later before Mom can see it."

Frisk was starting to feel a little on the facetious side and next pointed to the far wall opposite the armor. There could be found a shelf laden with rows of brightly colored (mostly pink) cartoons and accompanying figurines. Chara looked confused.

"That is not food. That is my anime collection. It is every bit as off limits to you as the chocolate."

So Chara was a nerd, then. Frisk didn't mind. In fact that was kind of cute. They next pointed the knife directly at the human themself. Chara raised an eyebrow, looking even more confused than before.

"Are you... threatening me or flirting with me?"

Frisk's own eyebrows moved in a waggle they'd found quite effective against many of the monsters here. Chara's ruddy complexion gave way to an honest-to-goodness blush, before they spoke again in a higher pitch than before.

"Please limit your interactions with me to forced politeness or death threats. Thank you."

A bottle of sickly yellow soda was by this point the only beverage or interesting item left standing, so Frisk finally pointed to it. Chara dutifully pulled it off the counter and brought it to the table, sliding it to the other human along with a small china cup.

Wasn't Chara going to pour it themself? Frisk supposed this was a lot better than they should have expected when coming here, and politely took the bottle and started turning its cap.

The soda immediately came foaming out of the bottle, spraying all over them.

"Oh!" came Chara's voice in mock surprise, somehow betraying a gleeful edge even over the sound of Frisk sputtering. "Again, apologies. I must have been too vigorous with the bottle."

Frisk did not buy one word of that 'apology,' especially as a conveniently on-hand towel was immediately provided to them. They shot the innocently smiling human a look as they dried themself off, again wondering if coming here had been a mistake. They had nothing against pranks, but they generally preferred them to be in good fun. Chara's every action was actively malicious.

But once they were dry they found that Chara had poured a cup for both of them after all, and was already sipping theirs, sitting at the table with a polite, almost dainty pose. Putting aside lingering fears of poison Frisk also took a sip, finding the soda was _significantly _tastier than it looked. Even if it _was_ a little flat from Chara's trick.

For their part Chara was looking ever so slightly more at ease—maybe getting one over on Frisk was making them feel a little better. That was certainly fine by Frisk. They weren't too proud to move on from a simple prank, and they really _did _want to patch things up with the other human. Even though they seemed quite content at this point to remain perfectly silent.

This was also fine by Frisk. If Chara wanted to make it a competition to see who would break from uncomfortable quiet first, they were in for a shock. _Nobody _beat Frisk at the Quiet Game.

Time ticked on by.

Frisk sipped their soda and stared.

Time kept ticking by.

Chara coughed.

Time kept ticking by.

"...so..." Chara said finally. Frisk enjoyed their little triumph. "It is interesting you chose this soda, aside from it being the blatantly correct choice. You see, this is the Queen's favorite beverage."

Frisk perked up at this, deeply interested. They'd been hearing a lot about the Queen of the Underground, who was apparently the former Royal Scientist who'd taken the throne only out of the complete lack of other available candidates. She was reasonably well loved by the monsters Frisk had spoken to, though not as active when it came to encouraging them as many of them would have hoped.

Chara's smile formed a thinner line than before. Apparently they misinterpreted the nature of Frisk's interest. "I thought that would get your attention. Yes, human, I am talking about the Queen. My friend, and undoubtedly one of your future victims if you determine to press on to the Barrier."

There was that pessimistic prediction again. Frisk was getting tired of hearing it. They spoke firmly, telling Chara that they were going to find a way out without anyone having to die. Chara answered only with one of their harsh laughs, just as aggressive as during their battle earlier.

"You don't have to put on a mask for my sake. What you say to me doesn't matter. I've given up exposing you—my last remaining hope is that the Queen is able to finish what I failed. Maybe _this_ time they'll get a SOUL."

Silence again. The Quiet Game was reinstated. Chara seemed satisfied with having had their say, but something else seemed to be bothering them. They couldn't seem to hold eye contact with Frisk for very long, and they kept drifting off as though deep in thought. Frisk was patient. They waited, sipping periodically from their cup until Chara finally spoke up again.

"That is not to say..." they said softly, "...that the Queen is swift to kill. That is a human characteristic. She will take your SOUL when she sees there's no other choice, but..."

Quiet. But it didn't take as long for Chara to continue this time.

"Listen. Lest you think that I am a hypocrite..." Their voice was as soft as Frisk had yet heard it, and came out slowly as though the words themselves resisted being spoken. "...know that I offered her my SOUL."

Frisk's eyes widened slightly, but they didn't interrupt. They remembered Chara briefly mentioning something like this before their fight, but their attention at the time had been a little more focused on the magic daggers.

"No... I didn't just offer it to her. I _demanded_ that she take it. I threatened to demolish her lab and her throne room if she didn't. I told her that I _refused_ to be the human standing in between monsterkind and freedom. I told her... that there was no other point to my existence."

Chara's smile was a far cry from the severity of their words. It was fixed-on as surely as though by nails and looked about as comfortable. For the first time the true essence of the smile started to sink into Frisk—it wasn't glee that Chara was expressing. It was simply a resistance against expressing anything else.

"But the Queen," Chara continued, "Did not see it that way. She looked at me as though _she_ was the one who might start crying. Something I said had touched her. I cannot imagine why, but she... felt sympathy for me. Enough to tell me exactly the opposite of what I believed. She said that there was a point to my existence. I did not agree."

Frisk wanted to speak up, and loudly at that. They wanted to interrupt and tell the other human that they emphatically agreed with the Queen. That no one should feel so worthless that they wanted to die. That Chara, aggressive knife-happy lunatic that they were, deserved to live as much as anyone.

But they didn't speak up. A lot of the time when someone was baring their SOUL they weren't looking for assurance. They just needed a pair of ears... even if those ears were on someone they despised. The contemplative look in Chara's eyes seemed to confirm it, and they continued their story.

"Nonetheless, it became clear to me that with both Asriel and the Queen refusing to cooperate, there was no way for me to use my SOUL to save monsterkind. But something else the Queen said inspired me. She said it would help to keep busy—to find other ways to help the Underground. My brother was already helping with day-to-day tasks at the lab. She suggested I do the same."

Their smile widened. "I declined. She instead inspired me to pursue a different direction. To train for the one thing humans do better than monsters: fighting. She did not expect me to start diligently studying to join the Royal Guard, but neither does she discourage it like Mom does. Far from it. She began supplying me books on magic and military theory, as well as... other forms of material."

They laughed softly, eyes darting to the shelf of brightly colored cartoons on the far wall. Even now, though their voice was affectionate, there was a bitter glimmer in their eyes.

"I don't know how I'm going to tell her that I finally had the opportunity to put all my study into practice, only to screw it up. If nothing else I suppose Mom will be happy..."

Deciding they'd been passive for long enough, Frisk asked what it was that their Mom wanted them to do. Chara stuck out their tongue in disgust.

"Ugh. She wants me to be on her _educational programming_ like Asriel. I like her show and all, but..."

They scrunched up their face for this in a rare open show of awkwardness.

"There is this stupid game Asriel and I play sometimes where I follow him around and narrate everything he does. Don't laugh. It gets boring here sometimes. But one day Mom overheard us and she got it into her head that I would make a great narrator for her show. Now it's almost all she talks about. Every time there's a moment of silence she jumps right into it, telling me how wonderful my vocabulary is and how good I would apparently be at teaching it to little kids."

They shook their head in exasperation. "Woe is me for being articulate."

Frisk pondered this solemnly for a moment, before remarking that Chara was probably an _ace _at Scrabble. Chara looked serious.

"When I play them," they said, "It is not merely a defeat. It is _genocide_."

They said it with such determined conviction that Frisk realized they only really had two options in front of them. They could challenge Chara to a game of Scrabble... or they could _obviously _challenge Chara to a game of Scrabble. They chose the latter.

Chara blinked.

"...are you joking? I tried to kill you. You said yourself you're only here as a favor to Asriel. Now you want to play a game?"

Frisk simply shrugged, saying that it sounded like a fun way to kill an afternoon. There was more to it than that. They felt like they'd had the tiniest little peek into what Chara was like with their family, and, truth be told... they wanted more than a peek. Chara looked uncertain, but relented after a moment.

And being here wasn't just a favor to Asriel, either.

"Your funeral," Chara said eventually with a roll of their eyes. "Board's over there. You get it out."

The 'friendly' facade was already starting to break down in the other human's voice, but Frisk didn't mind. Fake friendliness was a pale substitute for the honesty of begrudging tolerance. They cheerfully went to where Chara had indicated and pulled out the board game.

It had been a while since Frisk had played this game, so they felt pretty certain they were going to be handily obliterated. They didn't mind. They weren't especially competitive, at least not about board games, and generally had fun just from the experience of playing with someone. Even if it brought them no closer to friendship with the terrifying human it'd be a nice way to pass the time before having to re-embark on their dangerous journey.

What they didn't expect was that Chara was actually _way _worse at this than they'd assumed.

They didn't pay any attention to the tiles and were playing as many long words as they could, presumably trying to show off. They counted their points with glee that turned into glowering when Frisk would casually outdo them with two or three letter words strategically placed. Games were a lot more complicated than just the most obvious numbers.

Chara realized this too late, soon finding themselves wildly behind the newcomer. Frisk would give them a half-cheeky, half-apologetic smile every time while quietly wondering to themself just how terrible at this game the other Dreemurrs must be if Chara thrashed them regularly. They didn't mind the death glares they were getting in return. They'd now _seen _their real death glares, which made these sporadic scowls and dark mutterings the closest thing to lighthearted banter that they'd had with them.

They felt this visit was actually going pretty well up until the point they actually _beat _the other human.

". . ."

Frisk smiled and said this had been a good game, holding their hand out to shake Chara's over the board. Chara did not reciprocate the gesture, glaring at their hand as though trying to harm it by sheer ill will.

Well, that was fine. Some people just didn't take losing very well. Chara would need a little space for a while but then they'd probably be in good spirits—better spirits, because who could stay mad after finding a new game partner?

Besides, Chara was the type to approach _real _enemies with a formal smile, so that smoldering stare they were directing across the table was really nothing to worry about. Really. Probably.

Suddenly.

Chara's surly demeanor melted away as though it were a storm cloud blown away by a far more ominous wind. Their face twisted into a smile so quickly it must have been at least a _little _bit painful. When they spoke again there wasn't even a trace of their whiny tone.

"Oh. I see."

Frisk started to try to say something, but was immediately spoken over.

"I _see_. This is _all_ a game to you. And I am the loser."

Frisk protested weakly that it was just Scrabble. They were answered with a harsh, almost hysterical laugh.

"Just Scrabble? What sort of fool do you take me for? The fool that I am, apparently." They wiped their eyes and shuddered down their whole body, glaring at the table in front of them. Then they flipped it over, sending tiles flying all over the room. Frisk began to worry that this was more than just being a sore loser.

"It wasn't enough to defeat me in Hotland. No. You had to hit me where I live. Make a fool of me in my own home. How else to break me? To humiliate me? What else am I to expect from a human who wants to get close?"

Chara stood to their full height, which was... maybe an inch higher than Frisk themself. Even so they somehow managed to dominate the room with their presence. It might have been the look in their eyes, glowing red and hateful in start contrast to their forced formal smile. To Frisk's alarm they conjured a pair of magical knives out of the air, causing one to fly handle-first into Frisk's hand.

"If that is what you want to play, human, then you should have at least had the courtesy to make sure we both knew the rules. I am not your plaything, yours to toy with before you get bored and do what you came here to do."

Everything went black and white again except for the scarlet SOULs in each of their chests. Even without their armor Chara was an intimidating figure, and there was a bounce to their step that seemed to be showing off how much more nimble they were this time.

Frisk tried to protest that they had it all wrong. They really _did_ just want to be friends, and-

"Quiet. I have already heard too much of your language of lies. It is time for you to start speaking _my_ language. En guarde!"

They pointed their knife straight ahead while adopting a defensive stance, apparently waiting for Frisk to take the first move.

They really _really _didn't want to do this. Nonetheless they seemed to be running out of options. They tried stalling for time by taking as long as possible to mimic Chara's combat-ready, bouncing stance, but that just seemed to be aggravating the other human.

Maybe it didn't have to be to the death this time? Sucking in a deep, nervous breath, they prepared to FIGHT.

They reached out with their knife.

Chara tensed at the sudden motion, every muscle they had stiffening.

Neither breathed and the room was silent until their knives softly, almost imperceptibly _clinked _together. Chara exhaled a sharp, irritated breath.

". . .w h a t . W a s . T h a t ."

Frisk immediately apologized, asking if they'd jabbed too hard. They remembered the absorbed force from blocking a blow could really hurt the arms. Chara simply stared at them with unblinking incredulous eyes before dropping dramatically to their hands and knees, both magical knives blinking away into nothingness.

Then they started laughing again.

Frisk tensed up immediately, as historically a laughing Chara was always followed up by slashing. But no knives fell this time. Chara was simply... laughing. It didn't have the hysterical edge that had been so nerve wracking before. It sounded, if not mirthful, then at least ripe with a bitter amusement. It tapered off in a noise that almost sounded like a half-sob.

Frisk nervously asked if they were crying.

"C-Crying... of course not, idiot. Do I look like a twelve year old?" With a struggle Chara managed to get control of themself, though still didn't rise. There was a look on their face that seemed amused and upset all at once. "I am just... laughing at what idiots we both are."

That should have been insulting, but somehow amid the chaos of Chara's emotions and the visit's proceedings, Frisk couldn't take it that way. They crouched down as close to the other human as they dared, frowning in concern. Chara refused to meet their eyes, but continued to talk in a soft tone barely above a whisper.

"You... you truly possess no willingness to harm."

Frisk shook their head slowly.

"All of this time... I have been seeing exactly what I expected to see in a human. But... you are not like the rest of them. Are you?"

Frisk wasn't sure how to respond to that, but another laugh from Chara meant that they didn't have to.

"Don't answer that. It is so... _obvious_ now. I should have seen it earlier, but..."

Frisk gingerly crouched down beside them as the other human gave a completely non-crying sniff. Unsure of what other comfort to provide they settled for giving Chara the lightest possible pat on the top of their head. Chara sighed, but made no move to push away.

"Human... listen. About the Queen."

The Queen. The monster in the way of the exit. Chara had Frisk's undivided attention.

"She—Alphys admires humans. She doesn't want to be at war. It is why she spared me. Even so. If you show up at the Barrier, she will... likely think she has no choice. A human so interested in the Barrier will... only cause trouble sooner or later."

There was a bitter tinge in their voice. But again they laughed softly without a trace of malice.

"If I may. Allow me to offer you some advice. If you find yourself facing the Queen in a fight... be the same harmless baby that you were against me."

They were smiling as they said it. Not a stiff, forced smile. This one was real. It lit up their face and for once even softened their eyes, which were glimmering with what could only be described as a sort of surprised affection. Frisk smiled back as warmly as they could.

"If I am right. She should leave you alone. Who knows? Perhaps there is a way for a human to leave without a monster's death. That will be up to you to find out, but... I am going to... trust you to make the right decision."

It sounded like a hard thing for them to say. Frisk thanked them warmly. When they stood up it was with a hand outstretched to help the other human to their feet; while Chara hesitated a moment, they ultimately took it.

"Hmm. It seems we made more of a mess than we thought."

They gestured at the mess they'd made of the room—primarily the table, which had been stabbed straight through with a knife and flipped over, with Scrabble tiles splashed randomly around it like the splatters around a crime scene.

Cheeks slightly more red than usual, Chara rubbed the back of their head with a nervous smile.

"...who am I kidding. _I_ made more of a mess than I thought."

Frisk offered to help clean. Chara shook their head.

"No. I can do it myself. Just... not yet. I am... still a bit sick from the heat earlier. That excitement just now didn't help."

They grinned sheepishly. "What energy I have should be going into returning that armor I stole earlier back to the Snowdin Armory before someone notices it's gone. I might stay there to rest up anyway. Just to not be associated with the mess if Mom comes home unexpectedly. Tell you what. I'll probably stop by Metta's place before coming home. He's a nice ghost, if a bit bombastic for my taste, and if I am correct you have his phone number. I will be around, so if you call him for any reason, I should also be on hand to offer you some assistance. It is... the least I could do."

Frisk told them they had no hard feelings, and forgave them completely.

"In case there is misunderstanding, I am not apologizing. I was fully justified in what I assumed." For a moment Chara's smile twitched back into its mask of hostility, but it was only for a moment. "Even so. Sometimes a reasonable assumption can be wrong."

They walked briskly to collect the armor, grunting a bit as they somehow stacked it into an easier to carry bundle and headed to the door with it. Monsters' armor apparently had the same easy to carry properties as their food. Before they headed out of the threshold though the human paused with their back to Frisk, looking uncertain. Their voice wavered as they said what came next, refusing to make direct eye contact.

"I... thank you. For... for _making_ my assumption wrong."

Though their head was bowed and they looked distinctly uncomfortable, a touch of warmth went back into their smile.

"See you around, mirror."

Disinclined to stay and hear a response they quickly headed out the door, leaving Frisk smiling at the doorway. They were again left alone in the Underground... but a little less alone than before.

Determination had paid off again.


End file.
